The Thing

This movie does not pass the Bechdel Test.The first and only time I had seen this movie was when I was a sophomore in high school, who was just discovering body horror and was unaware of my gender (still am :p). Despite only having seen it the one time, there were entire sequences buried in my head. The ending, the blood-testing scene, the dog cage scene, the chest scene, and even the simple things like the Thing-Husky staring out of the window. I had been meaning to revisit this movie, but I never could do it for the fear that the initial shock and buildup would be lost. Fortunately, this movie got better. It's crazy to me that this movie got a negative reception upon release, because this has aged better than a lot of horror movies of the time. It feels as if a student turned in one of the most insightful essays about human nature, only for the professor to mark it lower because they disregarded religion. John Carpenter directed the ever-loving shit out of this movie. After we get the opening crash scene, the way Carpenter and his crew present Antarctica is truly harrowing. The use of extreme wide shots, depicting the Norwegian helicopter chasing the Thing-Husky as if it were a toy that the Thing was messing with. They further go on to add jump cuts of the Helicopter shooting at the Thing, further contributing to the intense isolation that the characters will feel. The ensemble cast, structure, and truly incredible practical effects breathe life into this movie, as they get those feelings of isolation and paranoia across with ease. The Antarctic setting might be one of the best settings ever, not just in the horror genre. It's the furthest we are from other people, apart from the ocean or space. The iciness contributes to the macabre tone wonderfully, and we are expertly displayed the tiredness and already building tension between them. The best examples for this would be between Mac and Childs/Clark (who I just realized played the Uncle in 'My Girl'). They begrudgingly work together to face whatever the Thing might be, but they always display a sense of distrust. What makes 'The Thing' special to me is how it follows smart people who are driven down by their growing paranoia. The fact that they were already on different sides makes the Thing's impact more insightful on how humans are quick to turn on each other. For the most part, there is an aura of pessimism in this movie that is concluded by deep, bitter sweetness. That greatly established isolation, the already present tension, and the horrific consequences of the Thing's assimilation reduce even the smartest people down to shells of themselves. The Thing takes on their appearance to bring out that paranoia, just like a manipulator. It's definitely one of, if not the most terrifying horror antagonist, as it reflects how deep-seated the distrust of other people, even those you've known for a while, may be. It's a parasite that takes the form of those you know to cause harm, before revealing its truly magnificent form. ... I think I liked this movie.